Somerset Co PA

[MikeL]

Posting my first thread though Ive been hanging around over a year. Looks to be the best year this camp has ever had/my of ownership is only inthe second year and it takes little to top last years disaster. However, the former owner George Baer hasnt had any that topped this... Course there was never vacuum then either. Looks like we have a little more time to make up last years... the buckets are all full and its going to pour rain all day. Gotta love it.

[Buffalo Creek Sugar Camp]

Mike- We've been doing pretty well here too. Hopefully we do get a few more weeks. Its nice to see more Somerset county producers on here. Have you been over tohelp JR out much?

[MikeL]

Jr already stole one of my crew..:( We talk daily, may need to order wood from him tommorow. I have enough for another 150 gallon. That 6x16 takes fuel........But were having fun.

[Rossell's Sugar Camp]

We have been doing well down here in washington county. I tlaked to you on the phone last week about jugs mike. I have made 40 gallons so far from 150 trees. The buds are barely starting to show themselves here so you up in somerset should have a lot of time. And henery did have the jugs i needed.

[220 maple]

Buffalo Creek- Jeremey
Glad to see you have a Somerset County thread, since you all are the number 1 syrup producing county and the home of the International Maple Meeting in 2014? or 15?. Can't wait for that event. I was up at Henry's last Sat. He said I just missed you, I asked him how you was doing? He said you came for more barrels, that pretty well explained how your season is going so far for me. When is the Festival? I always try to show up one of the weekends. I look foward to visiting Jason at Milroy farms. He and his dad and mom are real workers when it comes to making syrup. I also like to visit the McKenzie Camp out over the hill from Milroy Farm. There is two more hard working syrup makers, and I always drop in and visit Sue and Jerry at Wagners Camp. I wonder how the Sanners are doing? they got a big camp maybe the biggest in the County?

Mark 220 Maple

[Buffalo Creek Sugar Camp]

Mark,

There is definatley a lot of syrup being made in Somerset county. The weather looks good the next few days, maybe no freezes the end of the week. I am not sure when the festival is. Been too busy making syrup to keep track. Just got back from Henrys tto pick up 8 more 55 gallon barrels. Hope the season hold out for a few weeks yet. Hows your season going?

[mapleguy55]

It's been a good year so far for me as well. The sugar content has been low but we have been making up for it with lots of sap. The festival is March 26, 27, 30, 31 and April 1, 2, 3

[walnutdalefarm]

Well its over at walnutdale maple farm, the R/O is cleaned,the evaporator is soaking and the syrup is all in jugs or barrels. Did have 1 major screw-up. I still use cone filters and got behind on cleaning, pulled a couple of "fresh" ones out of the storage cooler. Sniffed, thought not bad and used them, just had a customer return some. Fortunately i mark all my jugs with a batch id. Pulled all that batch off the shelf. Now i have 45 gals ready for henry. Just glad I found out about my mistake before I sold it all. Otherwise it has been a great year 566gals off just under 1200 taps. Got a little bit of everything light,med,dark and B. Next year filter press. Joel

[Buffalo Creek Sugar Camp]

It seemed to run today again under vacuum after last nights freeze, but not real great. I guess I will wait a few days and see how much water it makes. The sap coming in the releasers was definatley clear. We will see what happens.

[emericksmaple]

We quit!!! We are played out and exhusted, but very very pleased!!!! We had 3200 taps on high vaccum (22-24)inches and made 2065 gallon of syrup! about 900 light, and about 700 medium and the rest was dark. Thought we were going to keep going till I started making the funky syrup late fri night. You know the stuff that looks real gooood but does not boil quite right and has that "different" taste!?!?!?! But we can not complain it was our best year ever, and with very little trouble.

[220 maple]

Matthew,
Do you use check valves? A route salesman for Blackburn and Russell said Leo was having a big year also, last count over 3000 gallons, salesman has a friend who helps Leo, he said their mountain trees just started producing good about a week and half ago. I suspect they may produce but it will be buddy. Do you still sell products at Meyersdale during the Festival. Congrats on the record year.

Mark 220 Maple

[MikeL]

May as well add mine to the list. Baer Bros.never made so much syrup/ over 1200 gallons with 1600 on vac and the remaining 2400 as 15 yr old gravity and buckets. Not too shabby for us. All the taps are pulled, buckets are in, pan is soaking , and 75% of the old gravity is ripped out to ready for the change to vacuum hopefully by fri it will all be out. Quite a change from last year, at least 3x more this year. Best of luck to those that are still chasing sap. Our soft trees are budding quite heavily. Now to get ready for next year.............

[emericksmaple]

We used check valves on 400 taps. Saw some difference but this was a year where anythign would run. Yes we supply some of the syrup for the maple festival.

[Buffalo Creek Sugar Camp]

Mike- I'm glad to hear you guys had a good year. How did your buckets and gravity tubing compare to the vacuum tubing? It seems like the gravity producers even got good yields this year.

[MikeL]

Jeremy,
Kept missing you at your camp before we ended the season. The gravity did as well as gravity can do, esp 15 yr old tubing. I used 5/16 adapters and some used checkvalves on all of it so that we could get away from 7/16 tap sizes. I will soon have it all out and the main lines rolled up and out to trimand get ready for the new load of tubing I get at Swanton next mo. The buckets gave more than the last few years combined. though i think one run gave more than all of last year. Shame I cant tube it but they have fencing and cattle almost year round. May make it to meyersdale today.

[MikeL]

Start of the 2012 season. We got a start this afternoon and hope to do a majority tommorow. We could possibly do them all had I gotten all my spiles changed on the last 500 taps and gone over. That section will take time. Everything but the buckets is now to be vacuum. The new section has 1/4 taps. I know I am not the only one drilling, the weather is starting to worry me, hope it doesnt bite too hard next month.

[Buffalo Creek Sugar Camp]

Mike,
We are going to start tapping the end of the week. It sounds like there is some syrup starting to be made in the county. The extended forcast was calling for cooler temps next week, but now it looks like it could stay warmer. Good luck.

[pamaple]

I am hoping to tap on Friday. Pouring 15 yards of concrete today for the floor of my new sugar shack and then Thursday laying the brick for the new arch. So much to do but dont want to miss it if it turns out to be a short season. Hopefully it all works out and we can be boiling Saturday night or Sunday morning.

[mountain man maple]

Started tapping tonight hope to be finished by Friday. Trees were really running good.